Ali, Me and the Red T-Bird
Clifton R. Graves, Jr.
Like many of you, I too was deeply saddened to hear of the transition of a true hero, legend ,and icon, Muhammad Ali. As I conversed with, emailed and texted over this past week with childhood friends, and classmates from elementary through law school; from North Carolina to California; accomplished Black men, judges,lawyers, businessmen, politicians-- all expressed similar sentiments: heavy hearts, tempered with a sense of gratitude that we all had grown from boys to men idolizing, imitating, and being inspired by the "People’s Champ;" the brother who “floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee.”
Ali's passing has been particularly impactful on this writer and my college classmate, Dennis Mink. For you see, it was Dennis and I who were blessed with the once in a lifetime opportunity to escort, chauffeur and entertain the Great Ali when he visited the Tufts University Campus in the Spring of 1974.
Dennis - a Hartford native - had won a state high school basketball championship as a 6ft 7in forward with Weaver ,before matriculating at Tufts, where he would become an All -American breaking all of the schools scoring records. Though I was a team mate of Dennis' at Tufts, my claim to fame was that I was the President of the Black Student Union and a member of the Student Government Association. So, when the Tufts’ President’s office confirmed that Ali was coming to the Medford, Mass campus, they reached out to me and asked if I' would mind hosting Ali during his visit. Of course that was a "no brainer." For especially then in 1974, Ali was bigger than life, a symbol of success and sacrifice; determination and defiance; a rebel and role model, especially for young African American men.
But the problem was that I had no car, and all the school would give me access to was a sky blue Tufts van...clearly not fitting for the Greatest of All Time. So I called my homeboy Dennis -who had a fresh, shiny, red 1965 Ford Thunderbird -and asked if he wanted to hang with me and Ali. Dennis, from Hartford's notorious Stowe Village Projects jumped at this because he not only loved Ali, but talked as much "trash" as Ali.
Dennis washed his car,picked me up, then we rolled up in the "Red T-Bird" to the hotel where Ali was staying. Excitedly, we introduced ourselves. Ali graciously greeted us ,but then as he approached the car he laughed, scowled and then began talking much trash about Dennis' T-Bird. "Don't ya'll know who I am?" he exclaimed. "I am Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of All time; most popular Black man on earth, and you come and pick me up in an old red Thunderbird!! What is wrong with ya'll? Is Tufts that cheap?"
Now, Dennis and I were very familiar with the Ali persona and modus operandi from watching his fights and interviews on television. Ali's ranting didn't really bother us. In fact we laughed, though admittedly a little embarrassed. After a few minutes, Ali - traveling alone with no security- got in the backseat, but continued talking non-stop trash about Tufts and Dennis' car as we made our way to campus. While we knew this was Ali being Ali, Dennis had had enough, and the Stowe Village came out, stopping the car and telling Ali that he could get out, walk, or take a cab. Ali - always undaunted, again scowled, playfully balled up his fist, and threatened to punch Dennis "Mink to the Brink;" knock him from 6"7" to 5'7" if he didn't keep driving." So,after a pause,Dennis looked at me,winked and kept driving. Needless to say,I am enjoying the Ali-Mink show.
So we cruise into campus-leaning,profiling,slapping “five’with passers-by- making sure all the Brothers -and Sisters- saw us with Ali. .
We finally get to Cousens Gym where Ali is met by a multi-racial, standing room only crowd of students, faculty and community folk who filled the gym to see, hear and touch the Champ.
During his speech Ali is funny, witty and serious. Cracking jokes about Dennis' Red Thunderbird, but also detailing his conversion to Islam; explaining why he refused to be inducted into the Armed Services, to fight in Viet Nam, based on religious and principle grounds: "No Viet Cong ever called me Nigger.”,he shouted from the podium. He also encouraged us to value education, learn all we can , be difference makers in our communities, and commit ourselves to fight against injustice.
When the "lecture" is over, Dennis and I-in the red T-bird- escorted Ali to the African American Cultural Center for an informal discussion and interaction with Tufts Black students. There, Ali flirted with the women and shadow- boxed with some of the brothers. He then turned and called out Dennis to come spar with him, prompting Mink to talk more Hartford "trash", telling Ali that he would beat him like Frazier did ,and then –like a punk- ran out the door with Ali chasing him;. ;something that Dennis has yet to live down.
Again this was the Spring of 1974, barely six months before Ali would battle George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire, Africa; where Ali would regain the "Heavyweight Championship." Ali’s demeanor and physique indicated to us that he was clearly was ready for Big George. When the night was over ,Dennis and I-in the red T-bird- drove the champ back to his room. There he got serious again, thanked us for the hospitality, laughed and said he was just joking about the car, actually said it was a “nice” ride, and again encouraged us to finish school, and to make a difference in our communities.
Over forty years later Dennis and I still laugh when we reflect back on our special night with Ali. Coincidentally, Dennis now resides in Glendale, Arizona, a short distance from Scottsdale where the Great Ali died last week. Yes, we both reflect on the life and legacy on the boy from Louisville, who grew up and evolved into a ‘man of the world’; Olympic Gold Medalist; Heavyweight Champion three times over; courageous, conscientious objector; convert to the Nation of Islam; confidant of Malcolm X; Civil Rights/ Human Rights Activist/ Advocate; and ,yes, dogged fighter against Parkinson's Disease. Beloved ,respected by millions of all races the world over.
In my lifetime, I have been blessed and fortunate to have met and shaken the hands of historic, iconic figures such as, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela , Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, and President Barack Obama. Further, I have been fortunate and blessed to meet and converse with legendary sports figures: Jim Brown, Hank Aaron, Bill Russell, Julius "Dr J" Erving, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, and Michael Jordan. And while each of those moments will always have their own unique place in my memory vault, that Spring evening in 1974 with my "homeboy" Dennis, his "Shiny Red T-Bird," Ali and me will forever be special.;unforgettable… May God bless and keep the memory and legacy of the "Greatest of All Time", the true “People’s Champ….”, Muhammad Ali.
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